‘Terrorist Attack’ by Lone Driver Wakes Westminster

At 7:37 this morning on the 14^th August, a silver Ford Fiesta collided with cyclists and pedestrians whilst travelling on the wrong side of Abingdon Street, Westminster.

The vehicle then hit the barrier of the Houses of Parliament and came to a stop.

At least two people were injured in the incident.

Jason Williams, 45, from Kennington, a witness of the incident, said: “it looked deliberate”.

Another witness, bus driver Victor Ogbomo, 49 claimed that he saw smoke coming from the vehicle.

The Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu said: “Given that this appears to be a deliberate act, the method and this being an iconic site, we are treating this as a terrorist incident and the investigation is being led by officers from the Counter Terrorism Command.”

The driver of the vehicle, who appears to be a Black man in his late twenties, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of terrorism by nearby armed officers.

He has been taken to a South London Police Station where he remains in custody, though police note that he is “not cooperating” at this time.

Two people with non-life-threatening injuries were taken to a nearby hospital and one still remains there.

Abington Street and the area between Parliament Square and Horseferry road were cordoned off for a number of hours so that an investigation could be established by the police. Westminster Underground Station was also temporarily closed.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said: “It’s appalling, quite shocking and clearly very disturbing.”

Prime Minister Theresa May tweeted: “My thoughts are with those injured in the incident in Westminster and my thanks to the emergency services for their immediate and courageous response.”

Basu also noted that “no weapons have been found, no other suspects have been identified and there is no intelligence at this time of further danger.”

Ed Wiseman, assistant motoring editor of the Telegraph, said regarding the barriers outside of the Houses of parliament:

“Barriers work and we need more of them-for every driver with murderous intent there are hundreds more road users who are careless, incompetent or aggy enough to hurt you anyway.”

Scotland Yard is continuing their investigation, with their main priority being to “identify the suspect and establish motivations if [they] can.”